Huge costs for parents of disabled children: U.K. Study

DNIS News Network - The costs of looking after a
disabled child can leave parents in debt and living in poverty, says a recent
Research Study based in the United Kingdom (U.K.).

The Study
that has generated intense media interest is in fact an empirical confirmation
of a claim made by parents and stakeholders arguing for greater state and
community support.

According to
the Study, “It costs three times as much to raise a disabled child compared to a
youngster without a disability.”

The Report
authored by New Philanthropy Capital (N.P.C.) estimated that five per cent of
all children in the U.K. - around 700,000 – have one disability or the other.
The combination of inability to go out to work and the higher cost of bringing a
disabled child resulted in a disproportionate level of poverty and debt in these
families, claims the Study.

The Research
showed that 55 per cent of families with disabled children lived on the margin
of poverty - more than four times the proportion of other households. It also
found that 84 per cent of these families were in debt, compared to only 47 per
cent of all households.

Figures show
that it costs an average of £8,300 a year to bring up a severely disabled child.
The Study said that the minimum essential budget from birth to the age of 17 was
approximately £143,000 - with the largest proportion being spent on transport.
This is at least three times more than the amount required to raise a child
without a disability, the N.P.C. said.

“This is a
huge social problem and there are some relatively simple changes the Government
could make to the tax and benefits system to alleviate the problem. But money is
only part of the problem. Many of these families also suffer from stress and
social isolation and this is where charities can play a valuable part,” Martin
Brookes, head of research at N.P.C., was quoted as saying by the British media.

As per one
estimate there 28 million disabled children in India , and with the Government
playing hardly any role in directly supporting parents of children with
disabilities, the situation can be expected to be much worse.